The story of two married DC professionals, one a motorcycle lobbyist the other a US Senate staffer who quit their jobs, sold everything and hit the road traveling the National Park System and all points in between for all of 2016

My sisters husband is a bonafide rockstar. He's played sold out shows at MSG and hangs with the biggest bands in the biz. He's played on Ray Lamontagne albums and worked on projects with the Black Keys. So why he couldn't get me back stage for his show at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is causing me to ask myself "maybe because he didn't want to hang out with me?". Oh well it was still fun to see him. And I know we dig each other the most.

Hardly Strictly is a super fun fest. 6 stages, great music and its all free. A big money guy by the name of Hellman said to himself one day, Im rich, Do I want a Monet or a Music Fest? He went fest and set up a trust to continue to fund the event for the foreseeable future. Great hang at the golden gate park in downtown SF. Great city. Except for their stupid liberal sanctuary city law. Thats just the worst.

You have heard of the famous chinatown in SF, but they also have a japantown. This joint served up u-cook-it ramen. Super fresh and super-er authentic. The Sapporo Dark made me happy.

My bro played a second show at the Fillmore. The Fillmore, if you don't know, is the birthplace of a whole new type of music. Made famous by visionary Bill Graham, this place was the birthplace of the grateful dead and so many other bands that its walls just ooze coolness. The poster room upstairs is pretty epic. Had to post this one of Jerry. Great venue, great show. Ive always wanted hear a band here and the fact that I get to hear my family play here was a surreal experience. One that I would have never had if not for this trip. Once again I know that God loves me and he shows me almost ever day.

We camped at my buddy's place between the apple orchard and the blackberry patch. Joe Laurance, a fine example of an outstanding American. Let me brag on Joe for a bit. This man was a log hauler for 30 years in Oregon. Prior to that, he was a successful young airport manager who decided that shirt and ties were not for him. So after a long career in the timber industry, "Turbo Joe" as he is known amongst his fellow drivers, (Joe could hall 3 loads a day to the mill, most struggled for 2). Joe lives on family property settled by his kin from North Carolina, running a good length of the Upper Umpqua River. His ancestors were some of the first hearty souls to discover this part of the country, they got there around 1843 on a wagon. Fruits and vegetables burst forth from the ground seemingly everywhere. Joe's wife has a enormous killer garden that she let us run through as we saw fit. Well, Joe does indeed live in a nirvana-like part of the country, rich with timber and the spotted owl. You see, the timber industry and that cute little bird don't exactly get along famously. So the timber industry was forced to it knees and logging severely dropped off. Joe, frustrated with his lack of support from his elected officials, did the unthinkable. He joined them. Joe got himself elected to the office of Douglas County Commissioner where he righted wrongs and reached a general consensus of the community. He retired after two terms and is now keeping company with his favorite cat, Stinky. Likely pinging squirrels and blue jays off the back porch of his big log home with a cigarette and a tall glass of cider right now. USA could use a few more Joe Laurance types thats for sure.

We took Pancake the ambassador cheetah and her best friend in the world Dayo, the rhodesian ridgeback on a stroll. This wildlife facility is the most successful captive cheetah breeding programs in the world.

When life gives you flowers, you eat them? I told you of the bounty of Joe's garden, The zucchini flowers were out of control. So we picked em, stuffed em with a little ricotta and batter fried them up. Its an old school italian delight I picked up on in the quiet beach town of Cinque Terra on the Ligurian sea. No words.......

Joe has a near replica of one of my old Harleys. We took a nice ride out to Crater Lake, couple hundred miles. The lake is actually not a crater at all. It's a caldera, the ancient remains of a once very active volcano. No meteorites to find here, Dad, you can put the metal detector away.

Stinky the outdoor cat took a liking to us and would hang out on the steps of the RV all the time. She does live up to her name though. always underfoot and causing problems.. But, she is so cute, and now i know why cat people post cute cat pics, it takes ten tries to get one good cat pic. But look at that tongue. Stinky!!!

I took Z out on the sand, He loved it. Tracks in the sand tell no lies. You can follow some and they lead you to no where. Others lead you to dead mens graves, some, not most, lead to water. Or you can make your own tracks and blaze a trail. I suggest you find water.

The Oregon coast is otherworldly.

Port of Port Orford. One of the only dry ports in the world.

Port Orford, a bit randy.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse. They have a Fresnel Lens which makes this light house pretty fancy.

The Southern Oregon coast is breathtaking with its otherworldly beauty. We beached it for a day or two. Sweetie had a breezy time. The nooks and crannys of this coast are endless.

we found cabana one. or two, or twelve.

And primo, did i say primo? camping. Like the best camping. look how happy the TW is,,,,

Grilled pizza. you have never. On the left we have goat cheese, local free pear, camp site picked marion berry, olive oil and on the right is camper made pesto, sausage, tomato. ya gotta eat, and ya gotta grill. That pizza was insane!

We have been camping in a black berry patch of some size for the past week and a half. They have been dropping of the vine into our buckets seemingly at will .So fresh black berries are an abundant staple right now.

beach days. thats the largest monolith of the coast of Oregon. fantastic place.

We are loving northern California. The lost coast, as they call it, is breathtaking. the massive, ancient trees, the wild, rocky coast, fresh ocean air, and near perfect weather have us spell bound. Free camping is tough if not impossible to find here so we can't stay as long as we wish. But we are soaking up the norcal coast as best and as quickly as possible. This part of the USA is phenomenal. This tree is probably north of 1500 years old. Some one else made the branch hashtag though. We aren't that clever.

The heart of Yosemite. El Cap on the left and Half Dome on the right. Me, Paul, Rachael and Alicia hiding behind some grass. Our dear friends Paul Kennedy and Rachael Leman joined us in the Sierras. We had a blast exploring Yosemite and the sierras with them.

Two of my favorite people in one of my favorite spots. Stop time and space now.

dead sequoia they used as a promo back in the day.

Climbing at the Marine Mountain Warfare Training center. Paul Kennedy and his Marine Corps expert climbing instructors took some time off to hang out and climb with us. Heres me topping out on this climb.

they made us wear helmets....

Paddling June Lake in California.

The camp in California in the stanislau national forest was awesome. Ancient trees, a swimming and fishing hole, locking gate. This was VIP all the way. We felt like forest royalty.

Im a tree hugger when there is a 900 year old Pine tree in the middle of my camp. This dude was huge!

Made it to Secret Lake. We had lots of fun in the sierras with lots of friends. My buddy Trent closed out the visits.

"ill take it from here" she says.

The big old pine in the middle of our camp from the base up. Pictures don't do justice, this thing is ancient and gargantuan. The marines told us to camp anywhere but underneath it as each old branch is the size of a normal tree and they fall regularly. Respect the ancients.

And last but not least. the killer swimming and fishing hole on the west walker river, just down the mountain from camp. simply magical!